Contrary to fathers' rights propaganda, father perpetrators (along with stepdads and caretaker boyfrends) dominate the most vicious crimes against children: sexual assault, abusive head trauma, murder-suicides, crimes involving gun violence, and other similar forms of physically violent/fatal child abuse. And as more dads are providing child care (either because mom is working and can't find other care, or because dads are increasingly getting unsupervised visitation/custody through the family courts), more dads are are being found guilty of basic child abuse and neglect as well.

10/25/15 -Because of severe time constraints, we are no longer able to do regular updates at Dastardly Dads. We will occasionally post articles on general studies on child abuse/domestic violence, news pieces involving abusive fathers in custody/visitation situations. We wil also be updating the Killer Dads and Custody lists, while looking for a better, more accessible platform for the data.

7/11/16 - We started this blog on June 24, 2009--just over seven years. And like all good things, it's time to bring this project to a close. It has served its purpose. We have close to 10,500 postings regarding fathers and child abuse, with hundred of those cases being enabled by the family courts, social services, and others in authority. The documentation is clear. It is now time to stop documenting and put that energy into changing the situation that puts thousands of mothers and children at risk every day.

A dad has been jailed for carrying out a series of “sadistic” assaults on his newborn daughter.

Joshua Stephens, 22, was told by a judge that he posed a significant risk to the public as he imposed an extended prison sentence on him.

A court heard Stephens was violent to the baby from her being born until she was six weeks old when he confessed to his wife that he had hit her.

Leeds Crown Court heard Stephens slapped the girl “as hard as you would hit a man”.

On other occasions he held a pillow over her face and forced her head under water while he was giving her a bath.

After admitting to his wife what he had done, Stephens went to a police station and told officers he had an overwhelming desire to hurt his daughter.

He was jailed for four years and told must serve an extended licence period of four years upon his release after pleading guilty to cruelty to a child and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, told Stephens: “It is obvious that these incidents occurred as a result of your sadistic desire to cause pain and distress to your daughter.

“This was a gross breach of trust on a vulnerable child.”

The abuse came to light on September 4 last year when Stephens hit the youngster “as hard as he could” when she woke up crying for a feed.

The baby was left with a bruised cheek from the blow. Stephen’s wife was out of the room at the time and he admitted what he had done when she returned. Stephens, of Crowlees Road, Mirfield, also told his wife’s father about what he had done before going to Dewsbury police station and telling officers: “I hit my daughter and smothered her.”

Stephens underwent a psychiatric assessment and told a doctor that he had a history of self harming from the age of 14 and had strong urges to punch objects and use knives.

The doctor diagnosed Stephens as suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and was prone to impulsive and unpredictable behaviour.

Judge Marson added: “There is at the moment a significant risk of serious harm to the public.”